Chicken wings price may cause football fans, eateries to alter Super Bowl menu
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The only thing that might be more important than football on Super Bowl Sunday is the food people consume.
The Super Bowl is an event that calls for super eating.
The most popular items fans consume on the day of the big game are pizza, chips and dips and, of course, chicken wings. Wings are by far the fan favorite, according to Dino DeCario, owner of Dino’s Sports Lounge in Greensburg and Latrobe.
“The Super Bowl is one of our biggest ‘to-go’ wing nights,” said DeCario.
During the Steelers’ last Super Bowl appearance, in 2010, DeCario says he sold 25,000 wings in one day.
Times have changed. Because of the pandemic, chicken wings are in short supply. Businesses like Dino’s Sports Lounge are forced to pay double the cost to get them, which severely cuts into their profit margin.
A Consumer Price Index report indicated chicken parts rose 11.6% in January compared with last year.
Some restaurants, such as Sam’s Tavern in the Wall in Aspinwall, have taken wings off their menu, selling them only as a special item and at a dramatically increased price.
An order of five chicken wings that used to sell for $9 has now doubled in price to $17.99.
“The cost of wings is sky high, they’ve more than doubled,” said owner Sam Sieber. “The reason we had to take them off our menu is they’re just too expensive.”
But Sieber said he’s still making a profit on wings and will have them for Super Bowl Sunday. “(Super Bowl Sunday) has never been a great day for us, but we’re trying to promote it and have some hot sausage and beer and appetizer specials.”
The Anchor Inn in Harrison is a place known for its wings. However, owner Joe Kolek said the cost of bringing wings into his restaurant has gotten out of hand.
“I haven’t had trouble getting them, and I don’t know of anyone who has had trouble getting them. But you have to be willing to pay the price,” Kolek said. “Now that (the NFL) has gotten into the playoffs and the Super Bowl, that’s a staple for a lot of parties. So, I think they’ve jacked (prices) up even more, and some people haven’t been buying as many because of the price. Our wing consumption is way down.”
The Anchor Inn charges $24 for a dozen jumbo wings. But, Kolek said, a lot of places are charging $30 or more.
“So if you’re going to come in with a buddy and have a pitcher of beer and a dozen wings and your bill is $50, you could have two nice dinners and a pitcher of beer (for the same price),” he said. “People are tired of getting gouged, and it’s cut our wing sales by half.”
Kolek said the Anchor isn’t open Sundays and he’s not planning to make an exception for the Super Bowl.
DeCario, however, says he’s sticking with his usual Super Bowl game plan for Dino’s Sports Lounge.
“(The shortage) has impacted our business somewhat and we’ve altered some things. We only have one ‘wing night’ per week and we’ve started selling a lot more boneless wings. Boneless wings are not a wing. They’re different parts of the chicken, shredded and breaded,” he said.
Dino’s Sports Lounge has 15 different kinds of wings, including with an award-winning sweet and hot sauce — its most popular; garlic and parmesan cheese; barbecue; and the “slicker,” a mixture of sauces.
“We’re trying to keep our prices down and do high volume,” said DeCario, who expects to sell between 10,000 and 15,000 wings this Sunday.
At the grocery store
The USDA’s national retail report on advertised chicken prices at large supermarket outlets this month shows fewer stores promoted deals on chicken wings this year than in 2021, according to USA Today.
Giant Eagle spokesperson Dick Roberts said, “From the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, chicken wing supply has been challenged for food retailers across the country. At Giant Eagle, we have been working closely with our supply partners in an effort to meet the increased wing demand we expect in advance of this weekend’s game.
“We look forward to offering our customers a variety of wing options both frozen for home preparation and in our prepared foods department, including wings by the pound and party platters.”